Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1887-10-08

warned you fully To act each man aeeor,.4s
to bis conscience, | give my vote 1t =
and in the midst of the most intense sien
be paused and looked at old Silas, who nev,
even qualed-"it is death"
There was little bum of conversation, AZ.
poor Bessie, surveying the scene through {
crack in the store room wall groaned
bitterness and despair of heart
Then Hans Coetzee spoke. 1t cut his bosoI.
in two, he said, to have to say a worl again.
one to whom he had for many years been {;
a brother But, then, what vas he to do
The man had plotted evil against their land.
the dear land that the dear Lord had given
them, and which they and their fathers had
on various occasions watered, and were still
continuing to water, with their blood What
could be a fitting punishment for SO black
hearted q traitor, and how would it be Dos
sible to insure the better behavior of other
id Englishmen, unless they inflicted that
punishment There could, alas be but one
answer-though personally speaking, he ut
tered it with many tears, and that answer
was death
After this there were no more speeches, but
each man voted according to his are, upon
his name being called by the president. At
first there was little hesitation, for some
among them were fond of old Silas, and loath
to destroy him. But Frank Muller had
played his game very we'll, and, nothwith-
standing his appeals to their independence of
judgment, they know full surely what would
happen to him who gave his vote against the
president. SO they swallowed their better
feelings with all the ease for which such
swallowing is noted, and one ~ one uttered
the fatal word.
When they had all done Frank Muller ad-
dressed Silas:
prisoner, you have heard the Judgment
against you. l need not now recapitulate
your crimes. You have had fair and open
trial by court martial, such as our law di-
reefs Have you anything to say- why SEN
tence of death should not be passed upon you
III accordance with the judgmeD.?"
Old Silas looked up with flashing eyes, and
shook back his fringe of white hair like q
lion at bay.
II have nothing to say. If you will dc
murder, do it, black hearted villain that yor
are! might point to my gray hairs, to my
murdered servant, to my home that took me
ten years to build, destroyed by you!
might tell you how 1 have been a good citi
zen and lived peaceably and neishboriy it
the land for more than twenty yeaIs-ay
and done kindness after kindness to many ol
you who are going to murder me il colt
bloodl But viii not. Shoot me if You will
and may my death lie heavy on your heads
This morning 1 would have said that nly
country would avenge me; cannot say that
now, for England has deserted Us and have
no country. Therefore leave the vengeance
in the hands of God, who never fails t.
avenge, though sometimes he waits for Ion;
to do it, am not afraid of you. Shoot NJ
now if you like. have lost my honor, m.
home and my country; why should l not los
my life also.'
Frank Muller fixed his cold eyes upon tn,
old mans quivering face and smiled dread
full smile of triumph.
"Prisoner, it Is now my duty, in the na;n'
of God and the republic, to sentence you tx
be shot tomorrow at dawn, and may tn,
Almighty forgive you your wickedness anc
have mercy uDOn YOUR soul